Apparatus for elevating fluid



amh 20, 1928.

3,663,311 L. H. MILES APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING FLUID Filed Sept. 8, 1926 2 Sheets- 511631. 2.

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I N VEN TOR. LESTER MILES A TTORNE Y.

L. H. MILES APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING FLUID Mam?! 20, 192&

Filed Sept. 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. ZESTER 'H. MILES BYQ Q3 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

1,663,311 PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER H. MILES, 01' L08 ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING FLUID.

Application med September 8, 182B.- Serial Ito. 184,170.

My invention relates to an apparatus for elevating fluid.

The general object of my invention is to provide means by which the oil in a well may be brought to the surface when the gas pressure in the well is insuflicient to cause the well to flow.

Another ob'ect of my invention is to provide means w ich will increase the flow of oil wells wherein the gas pressure is so weak that the oil barely flows without the application of the customary pump.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus, inc uding a plurality of lifts for causing removal of oil from wells.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent fro the following description taken mconnectio with the accompanying drawin s wherein:

1 is a section through an oil well showing the manner in which my apparatus is laced therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical detail section through two of the stages showing the manner of mounting the stages in the tubing;

Fig. 3 is a section through the tubing and stage taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section of the overload valve applied to the casing head gas outlet;

Fig. 5 is a detail section of an overload valve which may be applied to a stage;

Fig. 6 is a detail section of another form of overload valve;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through several of the stages showing a diiferent method of installing the first stage, and

Fig. 8 is 'a section taken on line 8-8 of Fi Tteferring to the drawing by reference characters I have shown my invention as comprising stages 10, arranged in a tubing 11. The tubing is supported in a casing head 12, which is provided with oil outlet pipe lines 13, and surrounded by a casing 14 provided at its lower end, with the usual sections of perforated casing. The casing 14 is supported at its upper end in the lower portion of the casing head which is provided with gas outlet pipe lines 13. The flow of gas from the casingiis preferably controlled by automatic releas valves 16 more clearly shown in detail "in Fig. 4.

Each stage 10 of which there may be any desired number is made of two parts-a flanged lower portion 16, and an inverted cup-shaped upper member 17 held in engagement with the lower member 16 by threads 18. In the center of the lower member 16, and extending upwardly from aflanged base 19, I provide a neck 20, shown as of a conical shape and provided with a central pasage 21. he u per member 17 is rovided adjacent its ower end and 'ust a ove the screw treads 18 with a series 0 outlets 22, and adscent its upper end on its outer periphery with positioning fingers 23, which also acts as supports for a number of legs 24 extending downwardly from the flange 19 of the member 16. At each joint of the tubing 11 the stages 10 are sup orted on the outer part of the flange 19 w ich is of slightl eater diameter than the inside diameter oi tfi e tubing 11. By placing this flange 19 on the upper end of a section of tubing and then screwing the adjoining section down into the tubing joint 25, the stage section is thus clamped between the two sections of tubin and the proceeding sections are supported and spaced apart. by legs 24 arranged on the flanges 19. These Is 24 rest on the fingers 23 of each preceding section. On the outer periphery of the flange 19 of each section except the one which is clamped between the tubing sections, I provide a packing ring 27, to prevent passage-way of oil or gas, past the flange 19.

The first or lowermost lift, instead of being clamped between two adjoining sections of tubing, is clamped to the bottom of the first section of tubing by a shoe 11' which is screwed on the outer periphery of the tubing 11.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The stages 10 are mounted in the tubing 11 a as previously described, and the tubing is then lowered into the casing until a number of the lifts are below the normal oil level in thewell. The oil then comes up throu h the lower neck 20, and overflows into t e inverted cup-shaped member 17 on that neck and out through the ports 22. The inside volume of the member 17 is greater than the volume of the passageway 26, formed by the inside of the tubing and the outside of the member 17 between each lift and as result, the as in member 17 will force the oil upwar 1y to the next stage, and so on as this gas pressure will continue to act lifting the oil from stage to stage up to the casing head 12, where it is taken out through the pipe lines 13, to suitable storage tanks, not shown.

As-thc oil comes up through the bore 21 of each neck 20, and overflows into the inverted cup-shaped member 17, some of the gases contained in the oil may escape and collect in the top portion of the member 17, and if it does not become entrained in the oil again, the pressure of thisaccumulated gas may become too great, and for the prevention of this, I have provided the release valves as shown in Figs. 5, and 6, of the drawings.

The structure of the release valve as shown in Fig. 5, consists of a housing 28 threaded at its lower end for engagement with threads formed in the top of member 17, and provided with a bore 29, the upper end of which is counter-sunk to form a valve seat 30 for a valve cap 31. The bottom of the bore 29, is closed and provided wit-h a series of openings 32 spaced apart around an upwardly extend ing leg 33, which is provided with a bore for the passage therethrough of a valve stem 34, and adjacent the lower end of the valve stem is provided a pin retained washer 35 which acts as a seat for a compression spring 36.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another form of release valve, wherein the housing 37 is externally threaded at its lower end for engagement with screw threads in the top of the member 17 and provided with a bore 38 at the bottom of which, is a counter-sunk ball valve seat merging into a smaller inlet bore 39. The upper end of the bore 38, is threaded for the reception of a threaded plug 40, by which the tension of a spring 42 against the valve ball 43 is adjusted, the plug 40 being held against rotation by a lock nut 44.

As shown in Fig. 4, of the drawings the release valve 16, for controlling the gas pressure in the casing, comprises a housing 45 having a screw threaded entrance bore 46 communicating with a bore 47 by means of a smaller bore 48, the end of the bore 48 adjacent bore 47, is chamfered to form a valve seat for a valve ball 49, which is normally held in the seat by a compression spring 50. The tension of the spring 50 may be adjusted by means of a screw threaded plug 51, engagingsimilar threads in the bore 47, and held against rotation by means of a lock nut 52, and communicating from one side of the bore 47, to a screw threaded outlet bore 53, is a bore 54.

By the use of the relief valve 16 it will be apparent that the gases which escape from the oil into the casing may, by adjusting the release pressure of the valve 16, be used to create a pressure in the casing which will help to force the oil up through the stages 10.

In the modified form of my device as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, of the drawings, I employ the stages 10 constructed as previously described except that the first or lowermost stage is provided with a circular flange 55 whose outer peripheral surface is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the member 17. The flange 55 rests on a shoulder 56 formed in the tubing shoe 11'. I also provide another tubing 57 interposed between the casing 14, and the tubing 11, to form two circular passages, an outer passage 58, and an inner passage 59. The upper end of the tubing 57 is open while the bottom is closed by the tubing shoe 11 in which it is supported by screw threaded engagement. The tubing 57 extends upwardly therefrom for a height equal to a number of the stages.

Adjacent the lower end of the tubing 11, and just above the tubing shoe 11 I provide a series of ports 60, which form communicating passages from the passageway 59 to the passageway 26. The operation of this added feature is asfollows: The tubing 11 is lowered into the well until the upper end of the tubing 57 is submerged to a desired depth in the oil. As the oil flows through the stages as previously described, the oil will also flow up the passageway 58 over the top of the tubing 57, and down through the passageway 59, through the ports 60, and into the passageway 26 below the outlets 22 of the first stage and thus the weight of the column of oil in the passageway 59 will assist to lift the column in the passageway 26 and greatly increase the lifting efiect.

With the last mentioned construction it will be apparent that the gases which escape from the oil into the casing may, byadjusting the release pressure of the valve 16, be utilized to force the oil in the casing downwardly into the passageway 59 formed by the tubing 57, through the ports 60, and into the passageway 26 to help lift the oil in the stages after it has been ejected from the ports 22 of the first lift.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a. casing, said casing having oil lifting means therein, said means comprising a plurality of sections, each section constituting a lifting stage, each of said sections including an inverted cup-shaped member and a necked member fitted within said cup-shaped member, said cup-shaped member having apertures near the bottom thereof, a passageway through said neck member, said neck mem ber terminating short of the closed end of and the inside of said top being greater than the volume 'of the space between the outside of said top and the casin s.

3. In combination wit a well containing a gaseous fluid, means in the well to assist the fluid to flow therefrom, said means comprisin a series of stages mounted one above the ot er, one of said stages comprising a baseand a top, said base having an upwardly extending neck thereon, said neck having a passageway therethrough, said top securely engaging said base, said top member being cup shaped and having its walls spaced from said neck, 'said side walls havin openings therein adjacent the juncture 0 said top member and said base, a tubingabout said base and said top member, the outer wall of said top member being spaced from the inner wall of said tubing, and means on said base engaging the side waHs of said tubing, the volume of the space between the said top and said neck being greater than the volume of the space between the top member and the part of the casing coextensive with the to i i. In combination with a well containing a gaseous fluid, means in said well to assist the fluid to flow, said means comprising a plurality of superimposed gas and fluid receiving sections, means to conduct gas and fluid into the top of each section and means to conduct gas and fluid out ofeach section at a point near the bottom of each sect-ion.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

LESTER H. MILES. 

